


Hides and Intentions of Gold

by Zinfandel



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Blood, Gen, Injury, M/M, Magic, Violence, bamf credence, newt with a confusing boner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 06:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8787196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zinfandel/pseuds/Zinfandel
Summary: Newt is on a mission to save innocent creatures from poachers. The evening doesn't go as planned, but then again, Newt didn't really have a plan for this to begin with.





	

**Author's Note:**

> [This gifset is what killed me and resurrected this in my place.](http://zinfandelli.tumblr.com/post/154183214063/getmeoutofthisfandom-bareboneing)
> 
>  
> 
> I also haven't proofed this shit at all. apologies.

Newt sat at the small table, knees knocking against Credence’s as they tried to wait as casually as possible for their man.

It was difficult to even find this lead, but after a few weeks of sending Dougal to invisibly investigate, Newt believed he set up the correct meeting to get information on Re’em organ smugglers. They just had to wait for their guy, pretend they wanted to buy some hides, and then...well he hadn’t planned any further, but he knew what he had to do.

Save what Re’em were still alive.

He bounced his foot and fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt.

“Newt…” Credence asked softly, his voice just heard over the sounds of clinking glasses and rowdy conversations.

“Hm?” He whipped his head up and made eye contact with Credence before his gaze danced away.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“No of course not. But what choice is there?”

“...None, I suppose…” Credence mumbled and looked down to his lap.

He had been doing so so much better these past few weeks. Newt was inordinately proud. Credence was requesting things for himself, having opinions and commenting on things, saying what he liked and disliked, at least a little. His hair had grown and he was learning magic.

Newt was hard pressed to see him as the same species of creature as when Credence first sought him out months ago. They were comfortable now, moving on from simply getting by each day to choosing their path, together.

That’s what this was. A choice. Credence grew in confidence and Newt had come across distressing news. He couldn’t ignore the Re’em, and once he explained the situation, Credence was nothing but determined to help.

They made a good team. At least Newt thought so. Credence’s mind was still much of a mystery to him, though through his behaviors Newt was pretty confident where he stood. Close.

“Mr. Scabb?” A gruff voice asked from behind him.

Newt turned to look up at the man, but not before he saw Credence stiffen up and hunch over. Hm.

“Yes? That’s me,” He said as he stood and turned towards the- Vampire. This man was a vampire. Oooh, this was looking down already.

Regardless, Newt made eye contact for the required moment before offering his hand to shake. The vampire’s hand was ice, and Newt heard the scrape of a chair behind him. Credence had stood as well.

“Let us speak more in the back, hm?” The vampire offered, before extending his arm in invitation to the back room.

“Of course,” Newt murmured.

“Just us, if you please, Mr. Scabb,” The vampire said softly but firmly.

And Newt had to look up at him for a moment. “Oh, I’m sorry, Credence must come with me, I promise he is of no harm, He is my…” Newt paused. “-My weaver you see, he needs to inspect the fur for proper quality.

The vampire stared at him for a moment, his eyes piercing, before huffing a small irritated sigh. “Very well.”

And he lead them to the back rooms.

…

They were really in it now.

Newt hadn’t planned for vampires. He admittedly hadn’t planned much at all, but time was of the essence as it were, and well.

Bloody fuck.

He was held with his arms behind his back by that one single vampire and their boss, a Mr. Ludovico, had his wand pointed down at Credence who knelt in front of Newt, his head bowed.

“Really, Mr. Scabb, how you thought you could trick us so easily, you over-estimate yourself, and now look where we are?”

“I thought we were in the Shrie-”

His tarty reply was cut off with an admittedly vicious slap across his cheek from Mr. Ludovico himself.

“Don’t fuck with me, Mr. Scabb. Who were you sent by? The Ministry? The MACUSA? The ICOW? Are you the best Aurors they have to offer?”

“I’m sorry,” Newt said as he lifted his head and stared unwaveringly into his pale eyes. “I’ve never heard of your gang before, remind me your name?”

For that he got another slap. Mr. Ludovico wore rings. The pain was worth the man nearly foaming at the mouth as he shouted.

“Bloody full of yourselves government pricks!”

Credence shivered as he knelt silent on the ground. Newt passingly wondered if he were scared. Most probably.

“Accio,” Mr Ludovico spat, and in a blink Credence’s wand shot from his front breast pocket into the man’s hand.

Newt stilled as Credence glanced up at their assailant from under his lashes.

“It seems that you need a bit more incentive, Mr. Scabb, and efforts against your person are ineffective.” Mr. Ludovico knelt down to Credence’s level.

Newt breathed, “Credence,” on a gusty exhale.

Credence trembled and hunched lower.

“Credence,” The man said. “You seem a sensible lad, if a bit dull. Can you tell me what I need to know?”

Credence shook his head, keeping his gaze cast down. Newt felt his stomach flip-flop. They were officially in uncharted territory now, weren’t they.

“No?”

Credence shook his head again, hunched over lower.

“If you can’t tell me, maybe you can help me convince Mr. Scabb to be more helpful, hm?”

And Credence trembled.

“Credence…” Newt murmured again. Credence shifted on his knees.

“Or maybe Mr. Scabb could convince you to better your memory? How does that sound, boy?” The man muttered before his hand shot out and gripped into Credence’s hair.

He yanked Credence up to his knees and spun him around so he faced Newt.

“How about I use your own wand to slice him open? Sound convincing enough?”

Credence huffed and stilled in the Mr. Ludovico’s arms. Newt watched his face blank out, the fear and anxiety melting from his features.

Bugger.

“Credence,” Newt said, a bit louder. “It’s just a bit of blood, nothing to fret over, hm?” He tried to soothe.

But Credence’s gaze was fixed upon Newt’s waistcoat, where he knew the blood had dripped from his split lips to his chin then to his clothing.

“See that, Credence? He can take it, just a bit of blood. Now, why not tell me where the two of you are from?”

“I…” Credence whispered. Newt minutely shook his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Well that is too bad, isn’t it?” Mr. Ludovico said and pulled Credence back against his chest with one arm and extended the other, holding Credence’s wand, to point directly at Newt.

Credence twitched in the man’s arm and Newt watched his grip tighten.

“Anguis,” The man muttered, and Newt inhaled as he watched an invisible line snake up his arm like a vine, pressing his sleeve against him.

The spell twisted up his shoulder and then around his neck even though he tipped his head away from the formless magic.

Then, with a flick of Mr. Ludovico’s wrist, the spell constricted and Newt promptly choked.

He could barely pay attention as his throat was squeezed shut but he heard shouting and and the scraping of shoes against wood.

And Newt gasped in a breath of desperate air. The spell had dissipated and he struggled in the grip of the vampire. Credence was now on the ground, His arms pulled behind him, Mr. Ludovico’s knee pressing down between his shoulders.

Credence nearly snarled, “ _Newt_.”

Newt coughed and rolled his neck. “Credence I’m f-fine,” He had to clear his throat again.

Credence rolled his head to the side and made eye contact with Newt. His eyes were wide and dark, his brow pulled tight, his lips thin. Newt saw he was nearly vibrating with energy as he was held down.

“Credence, No.” Newt rasped.

“You heard the man,” Mr. Ludovico barked. “You’re no match for me boy, give it up, tell me what I want!”

Fuck. Buggering _Fuck_.

“ _Credence, No_.” Newt tried more forcefully, but Credence was already trembling on the floor, his eyes unfocused and dark.

Mr. Ludovico gripped a hand onto the back of Credence’s neck and ground his cheek into the grimy wood.

“ _Newt, why_?” Credence asked, nearly pleading as he kept his eyes on Newt’s general person even if he couldn’t quite seem to manage one focal point.

“You know why, Credence.”

And he laughed. Credence trembled in the man’s restraining hand and knee and Newt knew his shivers had nothing to do with fear. Credence husked a raw laugh.

“They don’t deserve it, Newt,” He bayed and rubbed his cheek against the floor scraping his skin and pulling at his cheek. “They’re murderers, Newt, they don’t deserve it-”

“They do, Credence, you know they do. Emaline has slain many wizards, does she deserve it?”

“What the fu-” Mr. Ludovico tried to interject but by now the both of them were thoroughly ignoring the others in the room.

“It’s different, Newt. It’s different.”

“Yes, it is, Credence.” Newt whispered imploringly to his friend pinned to the ground. “But we still have no right to choose another’s fate.”

“He hurt you-”

“Enough!” And Mr. Ludovico beat Credence’s skull against the floor. It certainly shut him up, but Credence was quickly back to restrained trembling. Newt shifted in his chair, a proud sort of tickle twisting his stomach as he watched the enormous amount of control Credence showed in letting himself be humiliated so.

“Neither of you are quite comprehending the deep pile of shit you are in!” Mr. Ludovico snarled as he let go of Credence and kneeled up on his back.

With both hands he gripped Credence’s wand and snapped the brittle wood in half. “Bring me his wand. We end this now,” he demanded of his vampire partner.

The vampire let go of Newt’s arms to rummage in his jacket pocket and when he pulled out Newt’s wand, Newt shifted in his chair, taking his chance.

“ _Credence_!” He shouted as he rolled sideways out of his chair, and even before the preternatural speed of the vampire could catch him, the whole room fractured into darkness.

It was like a blanket was thrown over them, with a muffled sort of _fwump_ silence fell and Newt held his position crouched against the wall.

The sussing sounds of sand against itself and wood shushed to life and Newt let out a breathy sigh of relief at the sound. A glowing shifting red ember of light petered out as if it were moving away in an impossible distance and the next moment the dingy light bulb flickered back on.

Newt stood up and as he was fixing his coat and turning back towards where he knew Credence stood, he froze.

Credence rose from a crouch, his hair swished up in a magically nonexistent wind. The soot and sand of his obscurial body was slowly seeping back into the blackness of his jacket and Newt was arrested by the white-glow of his eyes. No longer darkening with restrained fury, Credence’s eyes were wide open and blank pools of starlight.

Newt couldn’t help his gasp at the horrific beauty the Obscurus presented. The bits and pieces of Credence’s manifested magic wafted away like shredding cloth and he glanced down. Newt followed his gaze to find Mr. Ludovico cowering at his feet, holding his hands in his lap, fingers twitching and trembling.

The vampire was nowhere in sight.

“Mr. Ludovico,” Newt said in a kind voice which surprised even himself. “Will you tell me where you are keeping your Re’em organs and captured cows?”

The man just cowered.

Newt looked back up at Credence. Only thin wisps of dust trailed to him now, his eyes were back to normal and he held his hat in both of his hands in front of himself, but now, he wasn’t hunched over.

Credence met his eyes and didn’t look away. Newt’s heart ached sudden and strong.

“No need to fear Mr. Ludovico, we aren’t here to hurt you, we are just here to aid the Re’em you’ve hunted for they are quite rare and beautiful creatures that need protecting. I hope you agree.”

Mr. Ludovico nodded, but was still consumed with his hands. Newt glanced at the again. “Oh dear.”

“Credence…” Newt said with a reprimanding voice though he honestly didn’t feel much remorse for the man’s plight.

“I’m not sorry.” Credence said, though his conviction wavered in his voice. “He hurt you, he was going to break your wand. It’s not easy to get a new wand, as you said…”

“Yes Credence, I did say that, but you know I’ve yet to find cures for obscuri wounds.”

And Credence flinched at that. Newt watched and was suddenly ashamed of himself for so callously bringing up their most major setback.

“O-ob-obscu-obscurus-!” Mr. Ludovico chattered from the floor. His wits had clearly left him in his fear.

“Yes, Mr. Ludovico. Credence is an Obscurus, you are correct. Now, the location of your camp?”

“Th-thirty miles northeast of Hefei City, in the Henan r-region.”

“Thank you Mr. Ludovico. We will inform the ICOW of you turning yourself in and they will take care of you. Best of luck.” Newt said.

He stepped closer to the man and looked down on him. Both of his hands were grey and cracked, shriveled and almost mummy-like. Now he would never harm another undeserving creature, but Newt still felt a small pang of remorse.

A light touch on his elbow had him looking up.

Credence was offering him his wand back.

“Thank you Credence.”

Credence merely nodded.

Newt pointed his wand at Mr. Ludovico and murmured, “Obliviate.”

**Author's Note:**

> [writing prompts? hand em here on my tumblr!](http://zinfandelli.tumblr.com)


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